Chapter 24
Every cloud has a llama lining.
Hudson forced himself to remain quiet, hidden, even after that asshole shot at Lucy—who’d thankfully managed to avoid being hit.
Llamas were a hell of a lot faster than he’d imagined, especially given their size. Unfortunately the girls’ fur was lighter colored, making them relatively visible even in the darkness.
The man shot again, this time his aim wild, slamming into the tree Hudson was hunkered down behind. Splinters exploded, one hitting him in the cheek as he ducked back behind the oak. He barely clocked it as he waited a beat, trying to see if the man had actually spotted him.
Nope, the soon to be dead man was still ranting at the llamas.
Hudson moved around the other side of the tree, tried to line up a good shot, but it was too damn dark and he didn’t have his NVBs. And he wouldn’t risk hitting one of the girls by chance.
“You stupid bitches,” Oliver snarled, shooting again as he turned toward Clover who was trying to get to him from the other side.
Hudson used the distraction to break free from his hiding spot, kept his weapon up and trained in Oliver’s direction as he moved through the edge of the forest. With the way the girls were circling him, it was impossible to get a good shot.
And he had to find Scout while the llamas kept Oliver distracted. At this point they almost seemed to be taunting him. To be enjoying his manic, angry shouts.
As Hudson moved farther away down the trail, Oliver’s scream filled the air, followed by maniacal bleating and stomping.
Then…there was silence. Good.
The alert on his phone buzzed, letting him know that Scout’s phone had service again.
He looked at the little dot that indicated her location. The green dot flickered in and out, then out again.
Swallowing a curse, he hurried in that direction as quietly as possible. His legs ate up the distance as he raced down the trail. He passed two horses and… There. He spotted a button from Scout’s puffer jacket.
It glinted when a shaft of moonlight cleared the shifting clouds. He snagged it, then kept moving, his heart an erratic tattoo against his chest as he stepped off the trail and started in the last direction he’d seen the blinking dot of her location.
Since he’d raced out of the house so fast, he hadn’t brought any of his supplies. He used his phone’s flashlight to illuminate his way, saw boot prints and broken underbrush.
He had to be close now.
“Scout,” he whisper-called, not wanting to alert Oliver if he hadn’t been stomped to death or unconsciousness by the llamas.
He was hoping for the former.
He heard a faint rustling, then silence. Adrenaline punched through him. He knew there were wild animals out here, that Oliver wasn’t the only threat.
But he’d put enough distance between himself and Oliver that it was either Scout or a bear. Or cougar, whatever—he’d take on anything to find her.
“Scout,” he called out again.
There was another rustle, this time behind him. The back of his neck tingled, and going on instinct he ducked, throwing himself to the ground as a shot rang out.
The tree next to him exploded under the bullet’s impact.
As he rolled over, weapon up, he watched as Scout screamed, rushing an armed woman with her head down— Oh shit, her hands were tied up.
He took aim, tried to get a shot, but Scout slammed her head into the woman’s chest with a sickening thud.
The woman flew back with a scream of agony, and he was already on his feet, sprinting toward them.
The dark-haired woman sat up, raised her weapon, her expression full of malice as she swung her arm up in Scout’s direction.
He didn’t think, didn’t pause, simply pulled the trigger, once, twice, three times until she fell back against the soft blanket of leaves with wide, surprised eyes.
“Hudson!”
He was vaguely aware of Scout sobbing his name as he knelt next to her, freed her bindings.
Then she threw her arms around him, her entire body trembling. “My girls?”
“I think they’re okay, but we have to be careful and quiet.” He had enough bullets to take down Oliver Michaels—or he’d just kill him with his bare hands—but he didn’t want Scout to get caught in any crossfire.
It took ten minutes to get back to where he’d left the llamas and…what turned out to be an unconscious, but unfortunately not dead Oliver. His chest rose and fell in little gasps.
Lucy, Patricia, and Clover were all standing around him, as if daring the man to move one inch.
Given the unnatural angle of one of his arms and the opposite leg, that man wasn’t going anywhere of his own accord.
“We’ve got to call someone,” Scout rasped out as she stared down at the broken and bruised body of her ex.
“Already did. Come here.” He moved so that he was blocking the sight from her view, surprised but glad when she buried her face in his chest. “Are you okay enough to ride a horse?”
“Yeah,” she rasped out, nodding against his chest.
“Okay. I’m going to haul him back to your farm and I’ve marked the location of the woman’s body.”
“Andrea,” she whispered.
“What?”
“That’s her name. Andrea. She…used to be my friend.” Scout was full-on trembling now and he could see that she was going into shock.
So he pulled her into his arms again. “New plan,” he murmured against the top of her head. “You’re going to ride in front of me on my horse and we’ll pull him behind us on another one.” He had a feeling her girls would be flanking them the entire ride.
“Okay.” Her voice was still shaky, but she sounded stronger at least. “Thank you for coming for me.”
“Anytime, anywhere.” She might not ever accept him for who he was, but he would still do anything for her.